Japan set to join the re-usable rocket club after Honda sticks a landing

France announced its own effort to build re-usable engines on the same day

Japanese automotive giant Honda has successfully launched and landed a small rocket.

Honda operates an R&D unit that pursues space technology and, in 2021, announced its intention to build and fly a re-usable rocket. The company developed a rocket engine and, since 2024, has conducted ignition and hovering tests.

That work all came together on Tuesday when the company launched a test vehicle that climbed to 271.4 meters above the ground, then descended and landed safely. Here’s a video of the 56.6-second flight.

Youtube Video

The test rocket was far smaller than a craft capable of climbing into orbit with a significant commercial a useful payload, as it was just 6.3 meters in length, 85 centimeters in diameter, and weighed 1,312kg including fuel.

While pleased with the success of the test, Honda hasn’t decided to commercialize its rocket tech but has pledged to continue research with the goal of conducting a sub-orbital mission by 2029.

Meanwhile, in France

Also on Tuesday, France’s Centre National D'études Spatiales (CNES) announced its own effort to create re-usable rocket engines.

The Advanced Staged-combustion Technologies for Reusable Engines (ASTRE) project will see the agency develop “a full-flow staged combustion cycle engine capable of delivering 2000 to 3000 kN of thrust , with regulation, in-flight re-ignition and reuse capabilities.”

Note the mention of a full-flow engine as that’s the technology used by SpaceX in its Raptor engines, which it often reuses.

CNES selected a Franco-Spanish company called Pangea to create a preliminary design for the engine. ArianeGroup will also work on early designs, plus a small-scale system demonstration. SiriusSpace will work two technology maturation activities.

"The ASTRE project lays the foundations for a new generation of reusable, high-performance space engines to meet the growing ambitions of space exploration and heavy-lift launchers. It is a strategic investment in the future of access to space, of which we, alongside our partners, are very proud," said Carine Leveau, Director of Space Transportation at CNES, in a canned statement.

Re-usable rockets and engines greatly reduce the cost of spaceflight by removing the need to build fresh kit for every mission. SpaceX’s status as the world’s premier launch company is built on its ability to re-use components. ®